Improved device for receiving and delivering mails



F. K. SIBLEYII. L.-G WADE. DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAILS.

No. 85,183. I v Patented Dee. 22, 1868 1% I JZ'QI/ I I f I y t'inirl tea FREEMAN-K. SIBLEY,"OF AUBURNDALRI AND LEVI C. WADE,

NEWTON UPPER FALLS, ll'IAS SACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 85,183, dated December 22, 1868.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

To all whom it may concern.- v

Be it known that we, FREEMAN K. SrBLnv, of Aubumdale, in the county of Middlesex, and State ofMassachusetts, and LEVI C.WADE, of Newton Upper Falls, in the same county and State, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Receiving and Delivering Mail-Bags and Packages on Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the. accompanying drawing, forming partof this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents aview of the interior of a car,

-' in part, looking towards its one side, with our improvement applied thereto;

Figure 2, a transveise vertical section thereof; and Figure 3, a horizontal section of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding arts. 9 Our invention consists in an automatic device for receiving and delivering mail-bags and packages on railways, on and from cars while in motion, and is made up, for the most part, of ,a scoop, arranged to swing on a vertical axis within or through an opening made in the side of the car, and operating in connection with a suitable catch or catches, and devices for suspending the bags or packages to be received and delivered,

.in such manner as that the receiving of one bag or package is made to effect the delivery of another.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A represents the side, and B, the roof of a car, here supposed to be travelling indirection of the arrow x.

Q is an opening made in the side of the car, and

D, a scoop, arranged to loosely fit within or cover said opening. I I

This scoop it is prefm'red to make more or less of adish-shaped configuration, and the same is hung on vertical axes or pivots a a, arranged intermediately of its length. r

Thus .hung or suspended, said scoop is free to be swung outwards from either or opposite sides of its axes, so as to occupy an angular-position across or through the opening 0, substantially as represented in fi 3, the hollow portion of the scoop being on the insi e.

When it is not required to receive or deliver 1nailbags or packages, the scoop may be reversed, and-adjusted in line with the openingas represented by red lines in fig. 3, and be so secured or held by bolts 11 b,

to prevent objectionable protrusion of it outside the car.

To set the scoop for receiving and delivering mailbags or packages, it is swung, as before observed, to occupy an angular position relatively to theside of the car, with its concave face towards the interior of the -latter, thereby protruding at one end, or on one side of its axis, beyond the side of the car, and at its opposite end within the car. This establishes openingsc 0',

through which the mail-bags or packages are received and delivered.

Supposing the car to be travelling, in direction of the arrow :45, then the scoop is swung to protrude outside of the car, on what may be termed the forward side of its axis, as shown in the drawing; but if the car be travelling in the reverse direction, then "the angular position of the scoop, relatively to the side of the car, is changed,or arranged to cross the opening 0 in a reverse direction.

Such, however, is only necessary to be done where the mail-bags or packages are received and delivered through the same side of the car, in both directions of the travel of the latter, which, for convenience sake, our improvement is here represented as providing for by means of a duplicate arrangement of devices for suspending the mail-bags or packages to be dcTivere-d, and catches for holding the scoop at its required angular position, and duplicate proj ections or fomiations on the outside of the scoop for effecting delivery, all substantially as hereinaiter described.

Where it is proposed to receive and deliver from opposite sides of the car, in reverse directions of travel,

then independent scoops may be furnished opposite sidcs of the car, and, instead of the duplicate arrangement of devices above referred to, only a single ,one,

to suit a single action of the scoops as regardstheir angular position relatively to the sides of the car, he used, the scoop on one side of the car admittingoi" being set to receive and deliver in one direction of travel only, and the scoop on the other side being capable of a reverse angulanset, to receive and deliver in the opposite direction of travel. If desired, however, both scoopsmay be constructed, and suitable du-.

plicate means, operating in connection with them, be

provided to receive and deliver on either side of the car, in reverse directions of its travel.

\Vith these remarks, an explanation of the arrange ment represented in the drawing will illustrate the action of the invention in either or every case.

E E are bars, attached to the roof ,of the ear, and bent or directed towards the side of the latter, oppcr.

site the upper portion of the opening 0, on either side of it, or apertures d d, forming extensions of said opening. I

The mail-bag or package to be delivered is suspended by a ring or other suitable attachment, in a loose or free manner, so as .to be capable of sliding on the horizontal leg of that which, in relation to the travel of the car, may be termed the rear one of said arms E or E, the arm E here occupying the rear position.

The mail-bag or package to be received, is similarly hun g on a crane or bar, erected at the station or depot, and arranged so that the interior surface of the. outside-protruding half or portion of the scoop D will, in

draw or slide it oh the crane.

. spring-catch or other fastening, may be "used to Tee? side rear portion of the scoop,which concussion exerts the motion of the car, catch said bag or package, and

To hold the scoop at its required angular set, a hinged brace, F, or F, according to the direction the car is running, is made to hook i)! catch on to the edge of the" scoop in its rear spinner-protruding end, said braces, when thus hook on to the scoo1'),'bea ring under springs e e, or any other suitable description of strain the scoop from being swung too far-outwards by the resistance its advance portion meets with on its interior against the air as the car is in motion.

The mail-bag or package, being received by the scoop, is.carried,as it is struck by the latter from off the crane at the station, within the scoop, and, before falling or dropping to the floor of the car, is struck by the .in-

a tendency to close the scoop,.and releases the springcatch or hinged brace from its hold on the scoop, and, by the blow thus. imparted, causes-the rearportion of the scoop'to sweep off from the bar E the mail-bag or package to be delivered, and that has its delivery at or to the station properly directed by a projection or formation, G, on the outside surface of the scoop, striking and acting against the bodyor lower portion of the bag. There are two of these projections or formations G, to suit delivery in opposite directions of travel of the car. I

In this way, 1 will be seen not only that the whole device is automatic when receiving and deliverin thus doing away with all liability to accident by or om it to the mail-agent, but that the receiving of one bag or package is made to effect the delivery of anothen What is here claimed, and desired to be secured b Letters Patent, is- \r 1. The scoop D, arranged to swing on a vertical axis within or through an opening made in the side of the car,-and operating, in connection with devices for suspending the bags or packages to be received or delivered, substantially as specified.

- 2. The reversible swinging scoop D, operating in connection with catches for holdin it in reverse positions, having an angular relationship to the side of the car, essentially as herein set forth."

3. The combination of the hinged blaeus F Fand springs e e'with the scoop D, for operation as specified...

4. The arrangement, on the outside surface of the swinging scoop, of projections or formations G G, to

direct delivery of the bag or package, as herein set forth... a i FREEMAN K. SIBLEY.

- LEVI G. WADE. Witnesses:

G. 'L. Bovnxn, W. C. CLARK} 

